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Piano Trio in E flat major, Hob XV:29

Introduction

The Trio in E flat major Hob XV:29 is a work full of character and humour. The first movement is like a march, but with an almost mock-ecclesiastical air, and with its dignity punctuated by sudden accents and flourishes. A middle section moves into the minor, and becomes more serious and lyrical, allowing the violin to expand with a melody of its own. When the march returns, it is subjected to Haydn’s favourite variation techniques. The decoration becomes more and more elaborate, moving further and further from the mock-simplicity of the original. Just when the march seems to have run its course, Haydn adds a substantial coda, in which the music is pulled towards a remote and strange area, before recovering itself for a final show of self-confidence. For the slow movement, Haydn shifts down a major third to B major. The gently rocking, expansive melody gives the impression that Haydn might be settling down to quite a long movement—as Beethoven had done in his recently published Op 1 piano trios. But all of a sudden he takes a turn back by a subtle succession of modulations to the trio’s opening key of E flat, and the piano launches unexpectedly into the finale. This a triple-time ‘German Dance’. At first its mood is genial, but there are moments of truculent stamping, and suggestions of gypsy fiddles and a hurdy-gurdy. A central episode explores some of the dance’s motifs in a surprisingly serious manner. And even when the main theme returns, there are several sudden changes of direction, mood-swings, and further elaborations, before Haydn brings the dance to an end with a final twist of the hurdy-gurdy.

Recordings

Haydn’s ‘piano trios’ (as his accompanied piano sonatas are now known) are among the most delightful and inventive of all his works. The Florestan Trio, with their magnificent pianist Susan Tomes, dazzle in this repertoire. Their first disc in thi ...» More